October 6, 2023 - (Montreal, Que.) Bike-friendly Montreal is seeing protests over a new bike lane in Parc-Extension and nearby Saint-Michel, and police are reporting instances of mischief, armed assault and obstruction of civil servants according to CTV News and the Globe and Mail.
More than 100 thumbtacks were strewn across the path according to one resident who suspects it was a deliberate act. A number of protests have been organized against the removal of 250 parking spots, which is going to impact the quality of life in the neighbourhood say some residents.
According to the city 50% of the households in the neighbourhood did not have a car as of 2018 and proponents of the protected bike path plan challenge the notion of any negative impact on Parc-Extension.
The expansion of Montreal’s cycling network has been a priority for Mayor Valérie Plante since she took office in 2017. Borough Mayor Laurence Lavigne Lalonde (Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension), who is a member of Plante’s political party, acknowledged that the removal of parking spaces may inconvenience some drivers but said the goal of the new bike lanes is to increase safe mobility options for all residents in a neighbourhood.
Read the full report in CTV News w/video here and in the Globe and Mail here.
